LUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in the United States on Wednesday, his first international trip since Russia invaded his country on February 24, the White House announced, where he was received by Joe Biden. A Ukrainian diplomatic source had shortly before confirmed to AFP the arrival of Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington, for this historic and ultra-sensitive visit which will also see him address Congress. Air traffic tracking sites showed the journey of a US military plane from Rzeszow, Poland, to Andrews Air Base, a suburb of the US capital.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has not left his country since the invasion by Russia on February 24, will be received this Wednesday at the White House by Joe Biden before addressing the American Congress, during a historic visit. This visit underlines that the United States will support Ukraine “as long as necessary”, said Karine Jean-Pierre, spokesperson for the American executive, in a press release formalizing the event.
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At the White House, Joe Biden promised Volodymyr Zelensky to “continue to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, especially anti-aircraft defense”, while the Ukrainian president thanked him for his “great support”. Receiving his counterpart by the fireside in the Oval Office, for the Ukrainian president’s first international trip since the invasion of his country in February, the American president also told him that he supported kyiv’s aspiration for a “peace just “. The Ukrainian people remain “a source of inspiration for the world”, he said.
A great honor “
Joe Biden has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for using “winter as a weapon” against civilians by targeting water and electricity networks. “Thank you from our ordinary citizens to your ordinary citizens, the Americans,” said the Ukrainian head of state, dressed as is now his habit in khaki pants and a sweater, and wearing heavy ankle boots. He told Joe Biden of his “heartfelt gratitude” for his “driving” role in the invasion of Ukraine.
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Volodymyr Zelensky then offered a gift to his counterpart, a medal entrusted the day before on the front by a Ukrainian soldier whom he described as a “real hero”, explaining that it was a captain operating a spear system -US HIMARS rockets. “He said to me, ‘Give it to the president,'” Volodymyr Zelensky said, handing Joe Biden a decoration stored in a velvet-lined box. The American president considered it a “great honor” to receive the present, and indicated that he too wanted to offer this Ukrainian soldier an American medallion.
Later, at a press conference, Joe Biden promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukrainians would “never be alone” against Russia. “You will never be alone,” the US president said from the White House. “When Ukraine’s freedom was threatened, the American people, like generations of Americans before them, did not hesitate,” he added. Biden then assured that he was “not at all worried” about the strength of the Western alliance against Russia.
Attacks “against freedom, democracy and fundamental principles”
“We realize that Ukraine’s fight is part of something much bigger,” Joe Biden added. “The American people know that unless we stand up to such blatant attacks on freedom, democracy, and fundamental principles such as sovereignty and territorial integrity, the world will face far worse consequences.” “We will stay by your side as long as it takes,” he continued. “I have never seen NATO or the EU so united on anything,” President Biden said. “Putin thought he would weaken NATO, instead he strengthened NATO,” he said.
But the “just peace” mentioned a little earlier by Joe Biden to end this conflict “does not imply any compromise as to the sovereignty, freedom and territorial integrity of my country”, insisted the Ukrainian president.
A trip that will only last “a few short hours”
1er September 2021, Volodymyr Zelensky had already been received in the Oval Office by Joe Biden, who had already promised to support him against Russia. Wednesday, the same two men, the same place but a completely different historical scope: it is their first meeting in the flesh since Russia invaded Ukraine, making Volodymyr Zelensky a warlord known to the whole world. , and Joe Biden the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Response to Russia.
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During this trip with incredible security constraints and which will only last “a few short hours”, the Ukrainian head of state will first have a meeting with the American president and his teams at the White House, before a press conference , detailed a senior official of the American executive during an interview with journalists.
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According to this source, who requested anonymity, the American executive will unveil for the occasion a new component of aid of “nearly two billion dollars” to Ukraine, including a Patriot surface-to-air missile system. The announcement of the shipment of this jewel of American military technology, long demanded by kyiv, should not fail to make Russia react.
For its part, the Kremlin estimated on Wednesday that new American arms deliveries to Ukraine will only “aggravate” the conflict with Russia. “All this certainly leads to an escalation of the conflict and does not bode well for Ukraine,” said Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, referring to new arms deliveries to kyiv. He also said he did not expect a change of position from Volodymyr Zelensky on his refusal to negotiate with Vladimir Putin after this visit.
Nearly $50 billion in US aid to Ukraine
The Ukrainian President will then address the full Congress, that is to say the House of Representatives and the Senate. US parliamentarians are preparing to vote on a new massive package of support for Ukraine, of nearly 45 billion dollars. They will hear Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech as the Congress will partially switch to the side of the Republican opposition in January, which raises some questions about the future Ukrainian policy of the United States.
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The senior American official indicated that the visit had been mentioned on December 11 during a phone call between the two heads of state, and that it had been confirmed on Sunday. During a trip to the front on Tuesday, in the city of Bakhmout (East), the Ukrainian president had in a way already lifted the veil: receiving a flag from the hands of fighters, he had declared: “We are going to give to the American Congress, to the American President. We are grateful for their support, but it is not enough. »
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The United States, by far the largest donor to kyiv, has already provided, according to expert estimates, nearly 50 billion dollars in aid to the country at war, including 20 billion in arms and military assistance.
Eastern Ukraine at the heart of the fighting
Vladimir Putin, therefore, intends to take stock on Wednesday with some 15,000 military officials, by videoconference. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will notably report on “the progress of the special military operation”. After a series of Russian military reverses in northeastern and southern Ukraine, the bulk of the fighting is currently concentrated in the east.
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Russia has been massively bombing Ukrainian infrastructure since October, causing power and water cuts. The delivery of a Patriot surface-to-air missile system is intended to respond to these “barbaric attacks”, said the White House official. However, he specified that the Ukrainian army would have to be trained in the handling of this sophisticated machine, which will be done “in a third country” and “will take some time”.